Booster equipped locomotive



March 13, 1934.

H. L. INGERSCLL BOOSTER EQUIPPED LOCOMOTIVE 3 Sh t -Sheet 1 N3 ees Filed Feb. 25, 1932 INVENTOR A TTORNEYf March 13, 1934. H. INGERSOLL BOOSTER EQUIPPED LOCOMOTIVE Filed Feb. 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/VVENTOR AwMf, [W

\f MW A TTORNE V5 March 13, 1934. H. INGERSOLL 1,950,449

BOOSTER EQUIPPED LOCOMQTIVE Filed Feb. 25. 1932 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNETED STATES PATNT OFFICE 1,950,449 BOOSTER EQUIPPED 'LoooMo'rIvE Application February 25, 1932, Serial No. 595,020 In France January 11, 1932 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in booster equipped locomotives and in particular to locomotives equipped with high pressure 7 I booster motors.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to increase the effectiveness of high pressure locomotives.

Another objeot of my invention is to increase the effectiveness of compound locomotives, particularly at starting.

A more specific object of my invention resides in utilizing the exhaust of a booster motor to supplement the supply of low pressure steam to low pressure locomotive cylinders.

How the foregoing, together with such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter appear, or are incident to my invention, are realized, is illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a locomotive equipped with my improvements;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view of a booster motor with which the locomotive is equipped, the section being taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2, partly in section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross section thru the front end of the locomotive, the section being taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic layout illustrating the steam connections, and V Figure 6 is a diagrammatic layout illustrating a modification of the invention.

The particular locomotive illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 5 is provided with a low pressure boiler A, a high pressure boiler B, low pressure cylinders C, a high pressure cylinder D, and a multi-cylinder booster motor E applied to the trailer wheels '7 of the locomotive.

High pressure steam is led to the high pressure cylinder D or" the locomotive and to the booster motor E by means of a branched steam line 8, the branch 9 of which leads to the high pressure cylinder and the branch 10 to the booster motor. The steam line 8 is under the control of a hand throttle valve 11, and a throttle valve 12 is provided in the branch 19 for controlling the booster motor.

Low pressure steam is led to the low pressure cylinders C of the locomotive from the low pressure boiler by means of a branched steam line 13, the branch 14 of which leads to an inter-stage receiver 15 and the branch 16 of which leads to a second inter-stage receiver 17. The inter-stage receivers 15 and 17 are preferably located at the front end of the locomotive. A hand-operated throttle valve 13a controls the steam line 13. Low pressure steam is led from the inter-stage receivers 15 and 17 to the low pressure cylinders C by means of steam pipes 18 and 19.

' Exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinder D of the locomotive is led to the inter-stage receivers 15 and 17 by means of a branched exhaust steam pipe 20 and exhaust steam from the booster motor is led to the receivers 15 and 17 by means of a steam line 21 having a branch 22 leading to the receiver 15, and a branch 23 leading to the receiver 17. A check valve 24 is provided in the exhaust steam line 21, so that when the booster motor is not in operation, no steam will reach the booster motor through the line 21. It will thus be seen that the inter-stage receivers not only receive low pressure steam from the low pressure boiler of the locomotive, but also receive exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinder of the locomotive and from the booster motor E, and that the low pressure cylinders C of the locomotive receive their operating steam from the inter-stage receivers 15 and 17.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, I have illustrated therein the booster motor E as being of the three-cylinder type and particularly adapted to be operated by high pressures such as contemplatedin the present invention. The axle 25 of the trailing wheels '7 of the locomotive runs in bearings (not shown) located outside of the wheels and mounted on the frame of the locomotive or ruck in the usual manner. This axle carries a gear 26 adapted to be driven by the booster motor through the medium of the driving pinion 27 keyed on the crank shaft 28 and the idler gear 29 with which the pinion 27 is permanently engaged. The idler gear 29 has its shaft 30 mounted at the free end of a rocking member 31 which is adapted to be moved in a direction to cause engagement and disengagement of the gear 29 with the gear 26 by means of a well known air pressure or similar device which may be controlled from the cab of the locomotive. Y I V The pistons 32 of the three cylinders 33 are connected to the crank pins 34,35and 36 of the crank shaft 28 by meansof connecting rods 37,: cross heads 38 and piston rods 39. The admission of steam to the cylinders is regulated by piston or plug valves 40 operated by means of eccentrics 41. The eccentrics 41 are secured to a shaft 42 carrying a gear 43 meshing with an idler gear 44 in turn meshing with a gear 45 secured on the crank shaft 28. This gearing is so designed that the eccentric shaft 42 makes the same number of revolutions in the same direction as the crank shaft 28. The eccentrics 41 cause reciprocation of the valves 40 thru the medium of the arms 46, levers 47 and links 48 connected to the valve rods 49, the arrangement being such as to provide a ratio of 2 to 1.

A three-cylinder booster motor of the above character allows full advantage to be taken of high steam pressures since the cut-off can be safely made as low as or per cent without sacrificing efliciency at starting. In utilizing high steam pressures, the cylinders may be made small enough in diameter to be installed in the very limited space available. In this connection it is pointed out that where high boiler pressures are employed, the use of three or more cylinders, each of comparatively small diameter, overcomes the danger of slipping the booster wheels which might very well take place were conventional twocylinder booster motors employed.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a high pressure locomotive equipped with a booster motor which receives its steam from the high pressure boiler and exhausts its steam to an interstage receiver or receivers from the low pressure cylinders.

which the low pressure steam is led to a low pressure cylinder or cylinders of the locomotive. The locomotive is also equipped with a high pressure cylinder receiving steam from the high pressure boiler and exhausting its steam into the interstage receivers. In the particular locomotive illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, a low pressure boiler is also provided from which low pressure steam is led to the inter-stage receivers for operation of Since the booster motor has relatively small cylinders and operates at relatively high speeds, relatively rapid exhaust takes place from the booster motor, so that a considerable supply of low pressure steam is made available in the inter-stage receivers in starting the locomotive, at which time the amount of exhaust from the high pressure cylinder is very small. The booster motor, therefore, not only increases the power of the locomotive because of the power transmitted to the trailer wheels '7, but also because the exhaust steam thereof supplements the supply of steam to the low pressure cylinders of the locomotive.

This is particularly advantageous in locomotives which are not equipped with low pressure boilers, in which case the inter-stage receivers do not receive low pressure steam other than the exhaust from the high pressure cylinders. Such an arrangement is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 6, from which it will be seen that the high pressure boiler B supplies high pressure steam to the high pressure cylinder D and to the booster motor E, and that the exhaust steam from thebooster motor is led to the interstage receiver 15a by means of the exhaust line 21a, and that exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinder D is supplied to the inter-stage receiver 15a through means of a pipe 20a. Low pressure steam from the inter-stage receiver 15a is led to the low pressure cylinders C by means of the steam lines 18a and 19a.

When a locomotive of this type, i. e., one having only a high pressure boiler, is started, there is not sufficient steam from the high pressure cylinder to supply the low pressure cylinders for efficient operation, and the booster therefore, exhausting as it does into the receiver 15a, increases the steam available for the low pressure cylinders and materially aids in increasing the tractive effort in starting the locomotive. The booster motor may, therefore, be said to supplement the low pressure steam supply for the low pressure cylinders.

I claim:

1. In a locomotive having a boiler and high and low pressure cylinders, the combination of a high pressure steam booster motor for supplementing the power developed by the locomotive, means for supplying driving steam to the booster motor from said boiler, and means for leading the exhaust of the booster motor to the low pressure locomotive cylinders to supplement the steam supply thereof whereby the power developed by the locomotive is supplemented by the driving power of the booster motor and by the power of its exhaust.

2. In a locomotive having a high and low pressure boiler and high and low pressure cylinders, means for leading steam from the high pressure boiler to the high pressure cylinder, means for leading steam from the low pressure boiler to the low pressure cylinders, and means for leading exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinder to the low pressure cylinders, the combination of a steam booster motor for supplementing the power developed by the locomotive, means for leading steam from the high pressure boiler to the booster motor for driving it, and means for leading the exhaust of the booster motor to the low pressure 10- comotive cylinders to supplement the steam supply thereof whereby the power developed by the locomotive is supplemented by the driving power of the booster and by the power of its exhaust.

3. In a locomotive having a boiler, high and low pressure cylinders, an interstage receiver, means for leading the exhaust of the high pressure cylinder to said receiver, and means for leading steam from said receiver to said low pressure cyl inders, the combination of a steam booster motor for supplementing the power developed by the locomotive, means for supplying driving steam to the booster motor from said boiler, a steam line for leading the exhaust of the booster motor to said receiver, and a check valve in said line preventing flow of steam from the receiver to the booster motor, said booster motor being adapted to supplement the power developed by the locomotive by its driving power and the power of its exhaust.

4. In a locomotive having a high and low pressure boiler, high and low pressure cylinders, means for leading steam from the high pressure boiler to the high pressure cylinder, and means for leading steam from the low pressure boiler to w cylinders, said high pressure booster motor being III adapted to increase the power developed by the locomotive thru its tractive effort and further thru the power of its exhaust steam.

HOWARD L. INGERSOLL. 

